Foldable screening for garage doors and the like



F. M. NORTON Oct. 17, 1961 FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THELIKE Filed June 4. 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllllllll I! llll ll!lllnliilaitt llllllllllllllll it llllllllllllllllll It lllllllllllllllllI! llllllllllllllllll 1| ilfllifldlllrflillvll llnllllinlitalifliniil Vlllllllllllllll '1' I! figs Ive/2Z0? Ha 22/? MNowhsw/ fl mw, amw/zc Oct.17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,004,592

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4. 1958 5Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I" II luv 1 I 1 LL 0 IHlIIIII' ullllllwi lllll llll lllllllll l Oct. 17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,00

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed Jung 4. 1958 5Sheets-Sheet s Oct. 17, 1961 F. M. NORTON 3,004,592

FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE S'SheetS-Sheet 4 FiledJune 4, 1958 I mu W"w' mll'w I Min wil 644 i rzaezz 5'02 F. M. NORTONOct. 17, 1961 FOLDABLE SCREENING FOR GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE FiledJune 4, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Vania/ H4221? fl a riam United StatesPatent require an expensive framework structure to mount the screeningwithin or across the opening.

Screens for homes and other buildings conventionally require a frameworkto which the screening material is secured. The conventional door andwindow screens are examples, and when not in use, these screens mustordinarily be collected together and stored until again needed. Needlessto say, the storage of screens takes up a lot of room either in thebasement, the attic or the garage of ones house. The problem isparticularly acute ,with the development home owner as many of the newerhomes have only limited storage space, either because there is no usablebasement or attic or because the space available must be preserved forother uses.

The screen storage problem, as well as cost, in the past have prohibitedscreening oil of large open areas such as "garage door openings, carports, and the like, though this would otherwise be highly desirable inmany instances where the home has no porch or basement and much of thefamily activity is carried on under the shelter provided by the garageor car port. Naturally, in-

1 sects, particularly in the evening during warmer months .ofthe yea-prevent maximum enjoyment of these available facilities without theprotection of screening.

A principal object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive fold-uptype screening that eliminates the needffor conventional wood or metalframework structures, and materially reduces the space required forscreening storage.

A further principal object of my invention is to provide screening thatmay be folded into a relatively small bundle for storage purposes.

Still a further principal object of my invention is to provide ascreening device that not only makes practical the screening olf oflarge openings such as are found llfingarages, car, ports and the like,but also reduces the Iinstallation of thescreening to a do-i-t-yourselfbasis, 'thus bringing large scale screening installations within thecapabilities of the average home owner.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a Q or becomeapparent from a consideration of the follow- I screening device that iseconomical to manufacture, which presents apleasingappearance, and whichis adaptedufo'r a wide variety of screening operations.

ing detailed description andthe application drawings. a v

In t e drawings:

1 FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a garage and .garage doorwayshowing one embodiment offlmy invention, applied thereto; 7

. FIGURE 2;,i's, a plan view of .the screening device showninfIGURB 1';p

FIGURE 3 .is a cross-sectional viewalong line 3-3 of. FIGURE .1; p g VFIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic fragmental perspective view ,of the lowerportion of the screening device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is. across-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

; FIGURE '6 is a fragmental plan view on an enlarged scale of the upperleft hand corner of the screening shown in FIGURE 1; 4

3,004,592 Patented Oct. 17., 1961 ing how the screen device may besecured to the garage door; I p FIGURE 10 is a perspective viewillustrating my invention as employed to screen off a porch, showing oneside open for entry;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmental cross-sectional view along line 11-11 ofFIGURE 10 when the screening is zipped in place;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged plan view of the upper portion of one of thescreening devices, illustrating a modification of the invention; 7

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 5, but illustrating amodification of the invention;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmental elevational view of one corner of a stonegarage doorway illustrating a further manner of installing the screeningabout garage doorways or the like openings;

FIGURE 15 is a cross-sectional view along line 15-15 of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of a patio screened in accordance withmy invention;

FIGURE 17 is a cross-sectional view along line 1717 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 16, illustrating amodified patio screening arrangement; and

FIGURE 19 is a cross-sectional view along line 19-19 of FIGURE 18.

Reference numeral 10 of FIGURES l and 2 generally indicates a preferredembodiment of the invention applied to the doorway 12 of the two-carframe garage 14 that is shown attached to building 16.

Referring to FIGURES g2-6, it will be noted that the screen device 10comprises a relatively large quadrilateral sheet 20 of flexiblescreening material, such as fiberglass screening, to which is securedabout three of the edges thereof fabric flanges 22 (see FIGURE 6). Asseen in FIGURES 3 and 5-, the flanges 22 are preferably secured to thestructure defining the doorway 12, and the screening sheet 20 is in turnsecured to the respective flanges 22 by zipper devices 24, 26 and 28.The zipper devices each comprise rows of conventional interlockingzipper lug elements 30, one row of elements 30 being secured in aconventional manner to a tape 32 that is stitched to the correspondingedge of the screening. 20 while the other row of lug elements 30 issecuredto a tape 34 that is stitched to the corresponding flange 22 (seeFIGURE 6). The respective zipper devices each include a double handledzipper fastening member 36 which is employed to bring the zipper lugelements into interlocking engagement as is well known in the zipperart. The zipper assembly 36 that extends along the top of the screeningsmoves either to the right or to the left of FIGURE 1 in closing oropening the zipper, but preferably the socket 38 and starting zipperlugs 39 (see FIGURE 6) of the side zipper assemblies 24 and 28 arepositioned at the top edge of the screening 20, so that the zipperfastening members 36 of these'assemblies move downwardly when the sidezippers are closed.

As shown 'in FIGURE 6a, the members 36 have handles or pulls 37 on eachside thereof so that they may be operated from either side of thescreening.

In the screening device 10, the lower or fourth edge of the sheet 20 isembraced by a flap member 40 that may be formed from any suitableweather resistant material. The member 40 is' illustrated in the form ofan elongated sheet 42 which is doubled over along its longitudinal axisand secured by suitable stitching along its longitudinal edges 44 to-thebottom edge of the screening 20. Suitable weights 46 may be positionedwithin the space 48 defined by the doubled over member 40; the weights46 should be relatively short and light to permit folding of thescreening into a relatively small bundle.

The device 10 is shown secured to the frame garage 14 by appropriatenails 50 extending through lattice strips 52 and into the framework ofthe garage, the respective flanges'22 being interposed between thestrips 52 and the garage framework structure. The securing arrangementat the top and sides of the garage doorway is similar, as seen inFIGURES 3 and 5.

The screening device 10 also includes a protective cloth fabric flap 54which is secured in place over the respective flanges 22 by fasteners 50and 56. The flaps 54 are preferably proportioned so that they overliethe respec-- tive zipper assemblies to protect same. It will be notedthat the flanges 22 are also proportioned to overlie the zipperassemblies (see FIGURES 3) so that the respective zipper assemblies arein efiect housed in a protective enclosure. As the flaps 54 and flangestend to lie flat against the screening device, the zippers are exposedto the elements only when being operated. Both the flaps 54 and theflanges 22 may be formed from suitable weatherproofing and moistureresisting materials.

The screening device lo may also include several hooks 60 (see FIGURES 4and 9) secured in any suitable manner to the outwardly facing surface offlap 40 for securing to suitable eyes 62 attached to one of thearticulated panels 64 of conventional overhead door 66 that is shownmounted for operation across doorway 12 in FIG- URES 7 and 8. Thepositioning of hooks 6i) and eyes 62 may be reversed, if so desired.

The screening device 10 when employed for screening garage doorways ofthe type shown in FIGURES 1', 7 and 8 may be supplied in severalstandard sizes corresponding to the standard sizes of garage doorwayswhether they be of theone-car or two-car type. The device 10 willordinarily be supplied in the form shown in FIGURE 2 including theflanges 22 and the zipper assemblies 24, 26 and 28 as well as flaps 54.The flanges 22 are secured in place about the doorway in the mannerindicated in FIGURES 3 and 5 either with or without the screening 20zipped in place. The securing arrangement of FIGURES 3 and 5 ispreferred for frame structures though the bars or strips 52 may beeliminated if so desired. Alternately, the flanges may be secured to thev face boards 70 of the doorway, as shown in FIGURE 13,

as by nails 72. The securing arrangement of FIGURE 13 is preferred fordoorways of brick or stone buildings though it is possible to employ thearrangement of FIG- means is provided for retaining nails 50 and 56 inplace.

A further way of securing the screening device 10 in place about thedoorway 12 is illustrated by FIGURES 14 and 15. Framing members 53,which in the illustrated embodiment are formed from rolled aluminumscreen stock, are secured about the top and sides of the doorway in anysuitable manner, the flange 22, to which flaps 54 are secured bysuitable stitching 54a,.being held in place in each member 53 byrod-like splines 55 forced together with the border of the flange intopocket 57 of the respective members 53. The splines 55 are formedfrom aresistant plastic material, and bind the flange to the respectiveframing members 53. The individual members 53 are secured in place bysuitable screws: 59 passing URES 3 and 5 for masonry structures wheresuitable structures (as shown) or into the wood of frame buildingstructures. The members 53 may be mitered at the 4 corners as indicatedat 63 to make job.

The protective flaps 54 may be omitted if so desired, and whereemployed, may be supplied separately or stitched to the respectiveflanges 22.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1-9, 14 and 15, the flanges 22 are formedfrom any suitable canvas or clothlike material, as are the tapes 32 and34 of the zipper assemblies.

When the zipper assemblies are operated to secure the screening 20 inplace, the doorway 12 will be effectively screened off against insects.When it is desired to open the doorway 12 to move ones automobile intoor out of the garage, the hooks 60 of the flaps 40 are engaged with eyes62 of the garage door 66, after the side zipper assemblies 24and 28 havebeenunzipped, and when the door 66 is moved to its overhead position,the screening 20 is lifted out of the doorway; By returning the door toits position of FIGURE 7 and unhooking the screening 20 for rezipping,the screening is returned to its screening position within the doorway.

Access to the garage will normally be had through its conventional dooropening leading into the house, but by unzipping one side of thescreening, one may open up the screening sufficiently to enter, and thenre-zip it into place,

My invention is applicable to other large openings or spaces, such as inthe porch shown in FIGURE 10 or the patio shown in FIGURES 16 and 18.The porch 80 includes two openings 82 and 84 in which screening a veryneat appearing devices 86 and 88 are mounted, devices 86 and 88 beingsimilar in nature but proportioned to close ofi the spaces 82 and 84respectively. The devices 86 and 88 each comprise the relatively largefiberglass screening members 90 and 90a, the zipper assemblies 92, whichare similar to the zipper assemblies previously described, and flanges94, which are similar to previously described flanges 22. The zipperassemblies 92 and flanges 94 are mounted about all four sides of thescreening member 90 but device 86 is similar in construction to device10. The flanges 94 at the sides of the devices 86 and 88 may be securedto suitable upright structures 96 as diagrammatically illustrated inFIGURE 11, which shows strips 98 nailed in place against the respectiveflanges 94 and uprights 96. The sides of the screening device 86adjacent the building 100 are held in place in a similar manner as bystrips 102 suitably nailed in place and flanges 94 at the tops of boththe devicesand the bottom of device 88 may be tacked directly in placeto adjacent porch framing structures. The device 86 includes flap 40 sothat it acts as a doorforthe porch, which is operated merely byunzipping and re-zipping one of the side zipper assemblies. The flanges94 may be secured in position with or without the screening zipper inplace.

The screening devices 86 and 88 also may include the protective flaps54a and the flanges 94 may be proportioned as described above so thatthe zipper assemblies are protected from the weather. The zipperassemblies include tapes 32 and 34 for securing the zippers to flanges94 and the screening members 90.

When the devices 86 and 88 are positioned as illustrated, they serve asscreening for the porch 80 during the months of the year when screeningis desired. When it is desired to remove the screening, the zipperassemblies are operated to unzip the screening 90 and 90a, and thelatter are folded up and placed in' 'aiiappropriate storage space. Theflanges may also be removed, but this is not necessary under ordinarycircumstances, and re-application of the screening at the beginning ofthe next season is facilitated by having the flanges already mounted.

FIGURE 12 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which theflanges described above are provided in the form of fiberglass strips110. This concept may be applied to all of the embodiments of theinvention illustrated. 7

My invention is also applicable to enclosing patios and summer houses,as illustrated in FIGURES 16 19. In FIGURE 16, patio 120 is enclosed byscreening device 122 by erecting vertical and horizontal wooden framingmembers 124 and 12.6 respectively substantially as shown adjacent thehomelZS. 01' o her bu lding, n al i g screening e ices. 13.0, consructed iath same way as devices but suitably proportioned for the spacesto be screened off, to the framing members in the manner indicated inFIGURE 17. Thus, nails 132 are applied along flanges 22 to secure thescreening devices in place, the zippers being drawn up tight at thecorners to close off all openings. The top panel 134 can be formed froma water proof canvas instead of fiberglass, if so desired, to provide aroof for the patio.

In the arrangement of FIGURES 18 and 19, framing members 124a and 126aare formed from piping, and flanges 22 are omitted in favor ofinterconnecting strips 140, which may be formed either from canvas (asshown) or fiberglass, that are provided with zipper lug elements 30along each edge thereof. Two zipper fasteners or pulls 36 operatelongitudinally of each framing member to fasten the devices 12?.together without securing the strips 140 to the piping.

In the embodiments of FIGURES 16-19, the screening along the sides ofhome 128 is secured in place by one of the methods described above. Thescreening may be opened from either the outside or inside of theenclosure at one of the framing members where entry or exit is desired.While the supporting structures shown are generally prismatic inconfiguration, other shapes come within the scope of the invention.

Summer houses would be formed in accordance with my invention in thesame manner except four sides and a top would be enclosed, as the summerhouse is normally an independent structure.

It will therefore be seen that I have provided a screening device forscreening off relatively large openings which neither employs norrequires any framework structure that is comparable to that used inconventional window screens and which may be folded up into a relativelysmall package for storage purposes. Moreover, the need for theconventional screen door is eliminated since access to and from thescreened ofi. area may be achieved by merely unzipping the screeningalong one side of the opening and moving the screen to one side.Fiberglass screening is relatively inexpensive and easy to handle. Atthe present time it is available in widths up to six feet, butfiberglass screening may be easily sewed or stitched together wherelarger widths are required. It is relatively light in weight and itsphysical characteristics permit it to be readily shaped to anyappropriate size.

The screening shapes employed may be other than quadrilateral where theopening to be closed off requires that.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explainand illustrate my invention and the invention is not to be limitedthereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, sincethose skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be ableto make modifications and variations therein without departing from thescope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A closure device for garage doorways comprising guide rail membersmounted on each side of the doorway and each including generallyvertical portions merging into generally horizontal portions above thedoorway that extend inwardly of the doorway, a sectionalized doormounted for shifting movement by said guide rail members between a lowergenerally vertical doorway closing position in parallel relation withsaid vertical portions and an upper generally horizontal position inparallel relation with said horizontal portions to open the doorway, agenerally quadrilateral sheet of fiberglass screening proportioned tosubstantially close off the doorway, a

row of zipper lug' fastening elements secured along two opposed edges ofsaid sheet, one of the other of the remaining pair of edges of the sheetserving as the top of said sheet, a flange member for each of saidopposed edges of said sheet,'said flange members being substantiallycoextensive with said opposed edges, respectively, and, each carryingalong one edge thereof a row of zipper lug fastening elements adapted tointerlock with the respective lug fastening elements of said opposededges, respectively, zipper lug fasteners operably associated with saidelements of each of said opposed screening edges and their said flanges,respectively, said elements and said fasteners along said opposed edgesof said screening comprising zipper fastening means, with the zipperfastening means of each of said opposed screening edges employing zipperstarting lugs and sockets at the top of said sheet, whereby said zipperfasteners of said opposed screening edges are moved downwardly tointerlock said elements of said opposed edges with said elements oftheir respective flanges, means for securing said flanges and said topof said sheet along the sides and top of the doorway, respectively, thefourth of said edges of said sheet engaging the bottom of the doorway,and including means for releasably securing the fourth edge of saidsheet to said door adjacent the top portion thereof, whereby, thescreening sheet fourth edge, after said zipper means are snfficientlyunzipped, may be secured to said portion of said door when said door isin its said vertical position, and after the screening zipper means arefully unzipped, the door may be moved to its said horizontal position toremove said screening from said doorway without detaching said screeningtherefrom.

2. A screening device for garage doorways having a garage door apparatusassociated therewith of the type including guide rail members mounted oneach side of the doorway and each including generally vertical portionsmerging into generally horizontal portions above the doorway that extendinwardly of the doorway, a sectionalized door mounted for shiftingmovement by said guide rail members between a lower generally verticaldoorway closing position in parallel relation with said verticalportions and an upper generally horizontal position in parallel relationwith said horizontal portions to open the doorway, said screening devicecomprising a generally quadrilateral sheet of fiberglass screeningproportioned to substantially close off the doorway, a row of zipper lugfastening elements secured along two opposed edges of said sheet, one ofthe other of the remaining pair of edges of the sheet serving as the topof said sheet, a flange member for each of said opposed edges of saidsheet, said flange members being substantially coextensive with saidopposed edges, respectively, and each carrying along one edge thereof arow of zipper lug fastening elements adapted to interlock with therespective lug fastening elements of said opposed edges, respectively,zipper lug fasteners operably associated with said elements of each ofsaid opposed screening edges and their flanges, respectively, saidelements and said fasteners along said opposed edges of said screeningcomprising zipper fastening means, with the zipper fastening means ofeach of said opposed screening edges employing zipper starting lugs andsockets at the top of said sheet, whereby said zipper fasteners of saidopposed screening edges are moved downwardly to interlock said elementsof said opposed edges with said elements of their respective flanges,means for securing said flanges and said top of said sheet along thesides and top of the doorway, respectively, the fourth of said edges ofsaid sheet engaging the bottom of the doorway, and means for releasablysecuring the fourth edge of said sheet adjacent the top portion of saiddoor, whereby, the screening sheet fourth edge, after said zipper meansare sufficiently unzipped, may be secured to said portion of said doorwhen said door is in its said vertical position, and after the screeningzipper means are fully unzipped the door may be moved to its saidhorizontal position to remove said screening from said door- 1,990,870Kelly Feb. 12, 1935 way without detaching said device'therefrom.2,002,596 Westrope May 28, 1935 References Cited in the file of thispatent I ;f'f '"7"7 S UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,391,871 I Ben$on....Jan. 1, 1946 7 445,661 Moore et a1. Feb. 3, 1891 2,702,082 Wolf Feb.15, 1955 1,743,369 Mears Jan. 14, 1930 Smith; Mar. 26, 1959

